Studies on formation, control and application of biofilm formed by food related microorganisms.

Biofilms are sessile microbial aggregates on the interfaces, and they were usually considered as microbial contamination sources in medical care and various industries. We studied the control and application of biofilms formed by food-related microorganisms, and mechanism of the biofilm formation was also investigated. We studied the biofilm formation in mixed cultures using various combinations of two strains of food-related microorganisms. There were various microorganisms that showed decreased or increased biofilm formation in the mixed culture in comparison with that in a single culture. Biofilm formed by lactic acid bacteria and yeast isolated from traditional fermented food, Fukuyama pot vinegar, exhibited unique feature in that structure and formation mechanism, and expected to be used as an immobilized microorganism in fermentation production. Here our studies on the control and application of biofilms and the mechanisms of its formation were described.